LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Black Hills State football was handed its first loss of the season Saturday afternoon, falling to New Mexico Highlands, 30-28.

The Yellow Jackets (5-1, 3-1 RMAC) are still off to their best start to a season since 1951 when the team finished 6-2.

Chance Eben and Aidan Willard both lined up behind center on Saturday. Eben finished 6-of-16 with 111 yards and a touchdown, while Willard completed 12 of 21 attempts with 95 yards and a touchdown.

Cameron Goods led with 15 rushing attempts for 76 yards and a touchdown.

Jamin Wurtz and TJ Chukwurah each had a receiving touchdown. Wurtz hauled in a team-high seven catches for 72 yards, while Chukwurah made three catches for 64 yards.

Hasaan Williams grabbed five catches on the day for 23 yards.

Defensively, Cooper Brown tallied three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Bailey Rosenstrauch broke up a pair of passes while Ryder Blair, Lovenski Simon and Doodles Quinones each had a PBU as well.

Blair and Brown tied for the team lead with 11 tackles, and Aaron Thiele made nine.

On special teams, Connor Boyd had a 91-yard punt return touchdown and Coleman Chapman was a perfect 4-4 on point-after tries.

After holding the Cowboys to a field goal on their opening drive, BHSU answered with a seven play, 75-yard drive capped by a Goods 14-yard touchdown run to put the Yellow Jackets on top, 7-3 midway through the first quarter.

NMHU booted another field goal with 4:37 left in the first, cutting the Yellow Jacket lead to 7-6.

BHSU fumbled deep in NMHU territory early in the second quarter, but the defense would once again force a fourth down and a field goal attempt. Doodles Quinones came up big, getting in front to block the field goal attempt and retain the BHSU lead.

The Cowboys rattled off an 80-yard touchdown reception on a bubble screen to take a 13-7 lead with 6:12 to play in the first half.

The Yellow Jackets would regain some momentum as the end of the half neared with another strip sack, this one by Jayden Marquez, which Brown recovered. The very next play turned out to be a big 54-yard touchdown pass from Eben to Chukwurah to give BHSU a 14-13 lead with 36 second to play in the half.

NMHU returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, however, to take a 20-14 lead into the break.

Out of the locker rooms, teams traded possessions over the next few drives until an NMHU field goal with 6:26 left in the third made it a 23-14 game.

Looking for a big play, the Yellow Jackets got one with 10:34 to go in the fourth quarter. Boyd returned a NMHU punt and followed several key blocks from the BHSU special teams 91 yards for the score, cutting into the deficit and making it 23-21.

The Cowboys would find the end zone with under two minutes to play, though, stretching back to a two-score game, 30-21.

BHSU kept the game close as a 27-yard touchdown pass from Willard to Wurtz brought the game to 30-28 with 27 seconds remaining, but the ensuing onside kick attempt by BHSU was recovered by NMHU, ending the game at that score.

Up Next
The Yellow Jackets are back home next weekend for a big Heroes Day matchup with Western Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 12 p.m.

Western Colorado received 14 votes on the American Football Coaches Association Coaches Poll on Oct. 3.